The present invention relates to equipment for the on-site fabrication of metal roofing flashing and the like and more particularly to portable such equipment that is easily transported from site to site.
The fabrication of metallic flashing and the like for use in the installation of roofs is largely a custom operation generally necessitating that fabrication be performed on site. As a rule, such fabrication is done by hand using small metal bending equipment such as portable metal breaks or the like using metal cut from a coil or in sheet form that is carried to the job site. Often the width of a suitable section of, for example flashing must be cut from an oversized coil or sheet marketed to meet the needs of a broad range of customers, but not specifically meeting the needs just described. Such on site fabrication for common shapes in custom lengths is therefore often very time consuming and therefore costly for the installer and ultimately the customer.
While there exists a large number of metal forming devices most are very large and cumbersome, often requiring independent power sources and therefore very costly or requiring a dedicated vehicle for their transportation. The use of such large devices is therefore not practical for the average roofer, even one performing a large number of roofing jobs that require the on site fabrication of a number of commonly shaped, but custom length flashing parts.
The availability of a compact, inexpensive and readily hand operated metal former capable of forming metal flashing and the like in custom lengths that can be transported in, for example, an ordinary pick-up truck without occupying an undue amount of cargo space would, therefore, be of significant value to the roofing community.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a compact, low cost and preferably hand operated metal forming device that meets the needs of the roofing community for the on-site, custom fabrication of metal flashing and the like.
The present invention provides a compact, portable metal forming device comprising: 1) a frame having entry and exit ends; 2) guide means adjacent the entry end for guiding a sheet of metal to be formed to a hand operated drive assembly supported within the frame that engages the metal sheet and drives it, through the operation of a series of gear linked separately journaled forming roll pairs mounted in the frame, 3) adjacent the exit end an adjustable cam wheel that engages one edge of the metal sheet and forms that edge just prior to the metal sheet reaching the exit end, and 4) forming the exit end, a guillotine cutter including a shaped exit aperture for cutting the formed metal sheet to any selected length.